Elastomer compositions made of natural rubber generally have good low temperature dynamic properties. However, because elastomers like natural rubber have unsaturated backbones, they are subject to chemical changes caused by environmental attack of the composition by, e.g., ultraviolet light, heat, oxygen, and ozone during use. These chemical changes in the elastomer, generally by means of reactions at the unsaturated sites, change its physical properties. Consequently, the composition begins to harden and takes a set. If such a composition has been used to form, e.g., wiper blades, the blades will no longer conform well to the windshield curvature. In order to overcome problems associated with poor environmental durability, elastomer compositions have been made from elastomers, such as ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), which have a fully saturated backbone. Since these elastomers do not possess any reactive sites in their backbone, compositions comprising them possess excellent environmental degradation resistance. One such composition, employed for windshield wiper blades, is disclosed by Killgoar, Jr. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,060, assigned to the assignee of this invention. The windshield wiper composition disclosed therein comprises elastomer having a fully saturated backbone, curing agent, reinforcing particulate and graphite. The graphite is incorporated into the windshield wiper composition to reduce the coefficient of friction of the blade material.
However, at temperatures below about 0.degree. C., such elastomer compositions, while having excellent environmental durability, display dynamic properties (i.e., flexibility) that are generally inferior to those of many natural rubber compositions. The properties of the elastomer compositions may be modified by incorporating additives into the compositions. However, the inclusion of a particular additive into the compositions may improve one property of the composition while having a deleterious effect on another property. For example, naphthenic oils, which are often added to improve the processing of elastomer compositions, generally do not improve the low temperature dynamic properties of the elastomer composition. U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,791, assigned to the assignees of this invention, discloses that the low temperature dynamic properties of environmentally durable elastomer compositions, such as those comprising EPDM, can be improved by incorporating particularly defined aliphatic oil therein.